I’d like to share with you what I mean by the new world order below. I’ll list it point by point:
- Organizing everything according to distributed systems
I’ve been discussing distributed systems since the early-2000s, and with everyone “staying home” due to COVID-19, we’re finally starting to understand the necessity of distributed systems and self-sufficient homes. As the saying goes: “One disaster is better than a thousand pieces of advice.” By distributed systems, I’m referring to on-site production and on-site consumption in every aspect. Specifically, we will obtain and consume the energy, water, and food essential for our lives, from our homes, our gardens, our residential complexes, or somewhere close to home. For example, Istanbulites will stop buying tomatoes from Antalya and instead source them from nearby locations. To help you better visualize this, I can give you an example of self-sufficient homes. Imagine a house that produces its own energy, water, and food. Urban planning will also be designed according to distributed systems. If necessary, these basic needs will be transferred to homes located close to each other. It’s like transferring electricity generated by a solar energy system on a house’s roof to its neighbors via a microgrid. I’ll leave the technical details and how this all works here for now. I could write at least five blog posts about distributed systems alone. I plan to share the details later.
- Automating Everything
Many production facilities around the world, especially in developed countries, are becoming fully automated. This means that instead of hiring blue-collar workers, they’re having machines do the same job. This way, they both reduce costs and eliminate human errors. Therefore, there will be no such thing as a blue-collar category in the future. People will need to focus on quality over quantity and develop themselves in the fields that drive these machines or in the emerging fields that require know-how and science.
- Changes in the Education System
I’m talking about an education system where everyone receives a good education (education is free and compulsory), niche subjects like artificial intelligence, computer engineering, microbiology, and genetic engineering are highlighted, different models like digital education are developed, and a generation is raised that prepares students for real life instead of unnecessary memorization and is at peace with themselves. I think the model for how everyone can receive a good education without paying a fee is very simple. Imagine the entire country equipped with private schools, providing high-quality education. Students and their families pay no fees. The state pays the private school operator a fee per student. Of course, in return, they are required to maintain a certain level of quality. I’m talking about a model where private school operators who compromise on quality to make more money will be immediately kicked out of the system. With the private sector and micromanagement model, it’s possible to provide quality education free of charge to citizens in every corner of the country.
- Basic Income
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unemployment in every country, and the number of people in need has increased exponentially. Assuming that blue-collar workers will be replaced by machines powered by artificial intelligence in the future, unemployment will become a growing problem everywhere. Therefore, I believe that countries with strong economies will establish a basic income system for all their citizens in the future. This means that all citizens of a country will receive a minimum wage to support their livelihood, whether they work or not. If they work, of course, they will be able to increase their income. I don’t see the same system being implemented in our country currently as highly likely. However, Turkey has tremendous potential. If we get our economy back on track in the future, why not?
- Digitalization
Everything done physically will be transformed into digital. For example, paper will be eliminated from documentation. Paper will remain in our lives only as a hygiene product. The entire functioning of the public, private sector, and NGOs will be digitalized. There will be no paper money. Training, meetings, and interviews will all be conducted via video conferencing. The habit of crowding shopping malls for shopping will gradually come to an end, and everyone will have their products delivered to their doorstep. All paperwork, documents, and files will be converted to digital, and the era of incredibly reactionary and still requiring wet signatures for everything will end.
- Cryptocurrency
Paper money will no longer exist. Future generations will even mock us, saying, “How ridiculous, they used to give and receive paper.” With all money managed digitally, cryptocurrencies will become a way of life. Beyond the widespread adoption of Bitcoin and its equivalents, the blockchain model and similar models will form the infrastructure for all businesses, including contract execution.
- 100% Renewable Energy
I’ve said this many times. I’ll reiterate it here. Everything will shift to 100% renewable energy. We will derive our energy from all elements of nature, starting with solar energy, followed by wind, geothermal, hydroelectric (provided the project is properly implemented), biogas, biofuels, biomass, hydrogen, waves, and currents. The model for fossil fuels will change. Instead of being used as an energy source and burned, petrochemicals will be prioritized and used as raw materials. For instance, oil will be used in petrochemicals, and natural gas will be used in fertilizer production. To address climate change, we need to completely restructure our energy modeling accordingly. I addressed these issues in my 2013 article in Turkish Policy Quarterly entitled, Why Should Türkiye Aim for 100% Renewable Energy? I also discussed this in my blog post: http://turkishpolicy.com/article/632/why-turkey-should-aim-for-100-renewable-energy-summer-2013
With the development of technology and economic models, I believe it will be possible in the future for energy to become free for citizens and companies. This will accelerate economic development.
- States, local governments, and NGOs
I believe the functions of states will be reduced to their basic elements. The state will always have a role in security, justice, education, and healthcare. In other areas, local governments and NGOs will have more responsibility for a faster and more efficient management approach through micromanagement. For example, tourism will be managed by the tourism sector’s representative NGO, giving the sector’s members the authority to manage their own sectors. Of course, in this case, governance will need to be subject to very strict rules. The elected president and board of directors will be able to remain in office for a certain period, after which they will need to delegate authority. A change of leadership is essential for sectors to renew themselves.
- Travel to and Settlement on Different Planets
In this current era, scientists’ collective efforts have focused on establishing life on Mars. Once we achieve this, we will undoubtedly explore other planets and even begin intergalactic travel. We will discover planets far beyond our comprehension and enable human life there. Then, interplanetary and intergalactic political, cultural, and commercial relations will begin. Of course, we won’t live to see those times, but we humans will lay the foundations for making this possible on Mars during this time.
- Preventing Biological Warfare
I mentioned three main threats to humanity: epidemics, nuclear war, and climate change. The worst aspect of this coronavirus outbreak is that it has turned into a pandemic and spread to almost every corner of the world. Some malicious individuals will attempt to use this as an example, making it possible to turn it into a biological threat, and even more so, into a biological warfare tool in the future. Can you imagine a microorganism we cannot see or detect becoming a threat and threatening humanity? Here, fields such as epidemiology (the study of epidemics and their treatments), virology (the science of viruses), neurovirology (an interdisciplinary field that blends clinical neuroscience, virology, immunology, and molecular biology), immunology (the science of immunity), molecular biology, and bacteriology (the study of bacteria) will be crucial, and research in these areas will progress significantly. I hope that control in this area will always be in the hands of good people.
- Eliminating Nuclear Energy from the World
Everyone involved in science and engineering has a fascination with the discipline of nuclear energy, and many scientists and academics argue that nuclear energy is the only way to achieve balance in energy. I believe the opposite is true. I believe that the use of nuclear energy should be stopped globally; renewable energy can easily replace it, and even with more advanced models, energy can become free. I believe that the sole use of nuclear energy should be in space. In other words, it should be eliminated from the world. Nuclear research and development centers can be established in space, for example, such a base can be established on the moon, and the area of use should be arranged only and exclusively to enable space travel.
- The rise of plant-based diets
As someone who loves certain meat-based dishes like kebabs, I can see that meat consumption will gradually decrease in myself and those around me. I can say that I eat less meat as I get older and that I can’t eat all meat. The most important factors here are changing habits and how my body feels. In other words, the signals in my brain are telling me that I need to reduce my meat consumption. At the same time, I’m increasingly enjoying olive oil dishes. I’ve given myself an example. Looking at the global landscape, we can see that the number of vegans and vegetarians is rapidly increasing. The visual and written campaigns put forward here have a significant impact. And of course, the emergence of delicious vegan dishes as an alternative is also a significant factor. I disagree with my vegan and vegetarian friends on one point: their assertion that meat consumption is one of the biggest causes of climate change. This seems exaggerated to me. The core of the problem is that the human population and human mobility are constantly increasing, driving carbon emissions so high. Well, if they’re putting it down to cows farting, there’s a solution to that too. If someone stepped up, this could easily be resolved. They could attach a device to the backs of cows or other large livestock that wouldn’t disturb them, collect the gas they release, and then use it for various purposes, including energy. Let’s not forget that a significant increase in animal populations, just like the number of humans, could accelerate climate change. Let’s consider the natural food chain. After all, everything in nature is a balance. Finally, let’s not forget that plants are the living beings that absorb carbon. Therefore, afforestation plays a crucial role in combating climate change.
- Implanting Chips in Humans
I’ve been discussing this issue with my close circle for a long time. It’s become a hot topic lately. A recent statement by Russian tennis player Marat Safin, who rose to No. 1 in the World, brought it back to light and sparked a debate. Marat Safin, using Bill Gates as an example, said, “I don’t think he’s someone who foresaw everything perfectly. I think he knew everything. They’ll make vaccinations possible with microchips that will be implanted in people. Everyone will have to wear these microchips. There are people with more money than world leaders. They own the world, and they can make this happen.” I’m also sharing the link to this interview: https://www.tennisworldusa.org/tennis/news/Tennis_Stories/86466/marat-safin-humans-will-just-be-walking-around-with-a-chip-soon/
Safin has a point. Frankly, I haven’t made up my mind about implanting human chips. On the one hand, if we’re talking about technology that allows us to constantly receive information about people’s health and act quickly if a problem arises, implanting it makes sense. On the other hand, if it controls people to the point of robotization and becomes a threat to their lives, then I’m absolutely against it. That’s why I’m personally uncertain about this. Time will tell what will happen.
- Adjustments to the Capitalist System
It’s a fact that the savage capitalist system, based solely on consumption, has disrupted all the balances of the planet. We’ve begun to suffer the consequences of climate change firsthand. Future generations will suffer even more. Therefore, some adjustments will be made to the system. Those who contribute to the ecological system and whose work is in harmony with nature will be rewarded, while individuals, companies, institutions, and organizations that harm nature will be punished. To this end, we will witness the establishment of new systems, adjustments, and the development of models.
- Acceleration of New Technologies
I believe that new mechanisms will be created to accelerate technological development in every field. As a representative of a generation that has experienced the most technological advancement in human history, I still believe that technological development is slow. The reason why necessary progress has been so slow is that a significant majority of those in the public sector lack that vision, a significant majority of academics are comfortably stuck in a world they’ve created for themselves, working for show, and those with money and power in the private sector, driven by their prioritization of more money, are failing to do what needs to be done, or even obstructing it. Even in this distorted system, the emergence of some new technologies and models is entirely due to the superhuman efforts of some scientists, entrepreneurs, and social entrepreneurs who wholeheartedly believe in technological development and take risks. These people need to be given a path, and even a mechanism can be created where they can work collectively to accelerate progress globally and receive full support in every area. I believe these systems will come into being, and we will witness major developments in every field you can think of, including energy, water, food, healthcare, logistics, real estate, finance, and transportation. Best of luck.
I could add more to the points above, but I’ll leave it at that for now. Finally, I can say this: If we want to make the world we live in a more livable place for future generations, change is essential. While we, as humans, need to proactively implement this change ourselves (as in, a word of advice is better than a thousand calamities), unfortunately, we will accelerate this process after the pandemic we’ve experienced. We are forced to do so. I believe everyone has learned their share of the necessary lessons from this pandemic. We are entering a new era where change is driven by good people, and therefore, control is in the hands of good people, and evil will vanish. Now is the time for change!
A bonus for this article: In this article, I’d like to share the recording of the lecture I gave as a guest lecturer at Kadir Has University on 15 April 2020, on ‘Sustainability,’ a topic I frequently refer to when discussing the new world order. I’d also like to take this opportunity to thank my dear friend, Dr. Uygar Özesmi, for inviting me to his lecture:
Tag: ecology
